Fall brings mushroom madness to Northern California’s Mendocino County, where seasonal rains cause more than 3,000 mushroom varieties to spring to life from October to January. Fungi fanciers hunt the 500 edible varieties, then celebrate with special events such as tastings, dinners, tours and lectures. Dozens of events take place throughout the mushroom season, but the ... MORE

Grab your goggles and flippers and head for Lover’s Cove on California’s Catalina Island, which rates among the top 10 places to snorkel in a list compiled by Coastal Living Magazine. Papalaua Wayside Park on Maui, Hawaii, was another entry on the magazine’s list in the July-August issue. The snorkeling spots, compiled by underwater photographer Tanya [...]

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Everyone’s serving up free nights these days. Expedia is doing it with a recently announced promotion. And Choice Hotels —with Comfort Inn and Econo Lodge a couple of the names under its banner — has offered, after a three-night stay, points applicable for a future one-night stay. Now, the mid-range Country Inns & Suites by Carlson has [...]

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If the buzz over Ken Burns’ soon-to-air new documentary, “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea,” has you clamoring for some time in public lands, head to southwestern Colorado for a truly unique adventure. Near the Four Corners, Mesa Verde National Park is a World Heritage Site holding, among its 4,000 known archaeological sites, incredible cliff [...]

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Among the wild creatures roaming the trails and roadways of Yosemite National Park are a whole bunch of litterbugs, unfortunately. And in 2008, volunteers with the annual “Yosemite Facelift” cleanup event proved it, by helping in the picking up of 41,631 pounds of trash. Following the crowds of summer, you can bet there is refuse aplenty [...]

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If you want to grab a deal, don’t wait for the first snowstorm to start thinking about skiing and snow- boarding this winter. The Westin Monache Resort, Mammoth, is offering up to 25% off its three-, four- and five-night ski packages. Just book by Nov. 5 using the promo code “PKGSKE” to get rooms starting [...]

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Curious about the gardens of the White House?  You’ll get a chance to visit them for free Oct. 17 and 18 during the annual White House Gardens and Grounds Tours in Washington, D.C. New this year is the Kitchen Garden, a patch of vegetables, berries and herbs that First Lady Michelle Obama and local schoolchildren planted [...]

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Whether you love Ken Burns or are bored to tears by his famous documentaries (e.g., “The Civil War,” “Jazz”), you’ve no doubt heard about his soon-to-debut project, “National Parks: America’s Best Idea.” The six-part, 12-hour documentary series is set to begin airing on PBS on Sept. 27. This means that you have exactly one week to ... MORE

Get a free pass to the past during fall getaways to Boston, where a special program offers Freedom Trail guidebooks, walking tours, entrance to historic sites and hotel packages. The Freedom Trail, a 2.5-mile path, leads to 16 significant historical landmarks, including the home of patriot Paul Revere and sites of events such as the [...]

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If you go on vacation to get away from it all, it makes sense to leave behind your old tired music too. After all, you can get a fresh soundtrack tailored to your particular getaway through the recently launched “Sound of Your Stay” program at Hard Rock Hotels. Guests staying at any one of the 154 [...]

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When the Ivy Hotel opened in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter in 2007, rooms were being sold at $450 per night. That didn’t seem so outrageous when you considered that this sexy boutique hotel had less than 160 rooms and was worth $90 million. Even this summer two of my girlfriends stayed at the Ivy Hotel [...]

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Remember when the Rancho Bernardo Inn got all the attention for its $19 “Survivor Package” in San Diego? The resort was dropping its room rates based on what kind of amenity you “didn’t need.” At the cheapest rate, you got a tent instead of a bed. It was amusing, and definitely got a bunch of [...]

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For an up-close look at gray whales along their Pacific migratory route, you may have trouble beating a trip to Magdalena Bay, a two-hour drive from Loreto, Mexico. The protected inner coastal waterway, along the western coast of Baja California Sur, is a popular spot for whales giving birth and rearing their young. According to Nancy [...]

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Feeling bored lately? A quick trip to Catalina Island can cure that for you. Visitors who are looking to sail, snorkel, hike, golf, kayak, shop or just kick back and enjoy the view of everyone else having fun are welcome. Now that the summer crowds are lightening up, Catalina is ready to pamper guests who prefer [...]

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To see a whole lot of Mexico in a little bit of time, you’re probably better off traveling by sky than road. To help make ventures by air easier, global airline alliance SkyTeam has just added a Mexico Pass to its cadre of discounted-flight packages for various countries and continents internationally (like Italy and Asia, [...]

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Two frequent flyer promotions were announced today, one from United and another from Southwest. Both are worth taking a look at if you are planning more travel this year. United Airlines: Get up to 50% off flights next year when you fly during the remainder of this year on United. The discount is escalating and given [...]

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Club Med, the well-known, all-inclusive vacation resort with properties worldwide, is willing to give you seven nights for the price of three. They are calling it a 7-Day Weekend — but you still have to work for it. The cost? Agonizing over whether you bring the kid(s), ditch them for a lovers’ escape or skip [...]

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A drastic slowdown in Brazil’s visa processing is threatening the plans of travelers who live in California and neighboring states. “It’s a crisis,” said Julio Victor do Espirito Santo, Brazil’s deputy consul general in Los Angeles. “We are trying everything to improve it.” The problem, Victor said, is a new processing system adopted on ... MORE

British Airways has announced an airfare sale on flights to Europe. The best deals are for flights out of New York, but they have an easy drop-down bar for you to select other departure cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago and Las Vegas, to name a few. Once you click that over to Los [...]

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Dear Orange County residents, it’s payback time. Forget about all those jokes that you had to endure after TV shows such as “The O.C.” and “The Real Housewives of Orange County” opened up the view from your backyard. Instead, think about how close you live to the beach, even if you don’t take advantage of [...]

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A highlight of America’s canyon country, Zion National Park is one of those magical places that  visitors rarely forget. From multicolored sandstone cliffs to narrow canyons, the natural features of this Utah gem are awe-inspiring and teeming with opportunities to explore and be challenged. If you’ve never been, or you’re eager to reacquaint yourself with the ... MORE

Talk about TMI. Now airlines are starting to ask your age and gender when you book a ticket. So expect to provide that, along with your first, last and middle name (if you have one) as it appears on your driver’s license or other government-issued ID. It’s all part of the new Secure Flight program, an [...]

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Six Flags Magic Mountain will add three new mazes and a new scare zone for Fright Fest 2009. The Valencia amusement park will also bring back some traditional Halloween treats, including coasters in the dark, a Mr. Six dance party and my all-time favorite: Colossus backwards. Highlights of Fright Fest 2009 at Six Flags Magic Mountain: Haunted mazes * [...]

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If you’re shopping for a hotel stay domestically or abroad, take a few minutes to peruse Expedia’s new sale before booking. Its “Fall Free Nights Sale,” though a little unwieldy at times to navigate online, is generating some good deals on numerous properties. Deal: With this Expedia.com sale, you can reel in your last night for [...]

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Visitors to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter will step into a realistic re-creation of Hogsmeade village complete with a steam-billowing Hogswarts Express train, a towering Hogwarts Castle as well as rides, shops and restaurants based on the blockbuster book and film series. Universal Studios Orlando announced today that the much-anticipated themed land at the Islands [...]

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The Great Wall of China. The Forbidden City. The Terra Cotta Soldiers. If those three attractions in China are on your must-see list of all time, have a look at this 10-day China tour starting at $999 including air, hotel and some meals. The “Taste of China” package has been particularly popular with Friendly Planet [...]

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The eyes of Texas will be upon the Big D next month during the opening of the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts, a $354-million complex for music, theater and dance. [Updated at 9:36 a.m. PDT, Sept. 15: The center will be renamed the AT&T Performing Arts Center to acknowledge a sponsorship agreement, officials announced [...]

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Want to fly on American Airlines? Starting Tuesday, Sept. 15, you will need to provide your full name as it appears on your driver’s license or other government ID, plus your gender and date of birth, to buy a ticket, the airline announced today. The policy affects tickets bought through all means — by phone, online, [...]

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Most travel websites sell you the essential parts to a vacation — how to get there and where to stay once you do. Many also offer destination travel guide information and attractions to visit once you get there — but Kijubi enters the travel Web space with a refreshing angle focused on selling outdoor activities. [...]

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Every day this week Best Western is putting thematic destinations on sale. But write yourself a note because you only have so much time to save. The “Countdown to Savings” Internet-only rates are posted on the chain’s website (look for the happy clock man) at 9 a.m. PDT and travelers have until 1 p.m. PDT [...]

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A free car for a day? You deserve it. At least Avis Rent A Car Inc.  thinks you do … if you meet certain requirements. Read more to find out what you’ve got to do to take advantage of a current offer that may be of particular interest to business travelers and other frequent car-renters [...]

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To combat the “I’m bored,” syndrome that often strikes young travelers, Four Seasons Bora Bora has devoted an area of the French Polynesian resort to teens’ trip survival: Chill Island. The facility has its own private beach, an indoor-outdoor lounge, Internet cafe and special activities such as al fresco nightclub dancing and snorkeling with the ... MORE

The Alaska Railroad will offer the “Great Alaska Beer Train” on Oct. 3, a refreshing ride along Alaska’s scenic Turnagain Arm. The 4 1/2-hour round-trip journey between Anchorage and Portage includes six half-pints of microbrew beer and appetizers by Anchorage’s Glacier BrewHouse. BrewHouse beer menu standards include Brewhouse Blonde and Oatmeal Stout. ... MORE

There’s not a whole lot of extra space at Disneyland, so it’s always surprising when a new building pops up at the 54-year-old Anaheim theme park. A new food kiosk, wedged next to the Matterhorn roller coaster and the Monorail track, has been designed to look like a Swiss chalet in order to blend in with [...]

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If the first family’s recent trip to Yellowstone National Park had you dreaming of geysers and bison, now is the time to act. Fall is one of the best seasons to snag reservations at popular national park hotels, including Yellowstone’s Old Faithful Snow Lodge, which is often sold out during the rest of the year. Other parks [...]

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By 2013, Disney World will transform Fantasyland into a magical fairy tale forest with new and upgraded rides, character meet-and-greet areas and a themed restaurant, Disney announced today. The centerpiece of the expansion, the largest in Magic Kingdom history, will be a new Little Mermaid dark ride that will take visitors on a musical journey under [...]

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The 1980s-era Star Tours attractions at Disneyland in California and Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida will get a complete overhaul by 2011, Disney announced today. In the new 3-D version of the venerable simulator ride, visitors board a Starspeeder and join a high-speed pod race through the desert canyons of Tatooine in a scene from the [...]

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By Catharine Hamm, Los Angles Times Travel editor Question: We recently returned from a Holland America cruise. Our 14-month-old granddaughter never received a proper-size life vest. At the safety drill, we told the crew. A few days later, we noticed it still was not replaced, and finally on the sixth day we asked again. We never [...]

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A roundup of my theme park Twitter updates for the last week: * Legoland California to open a separate-admission, 5.5-acre water park by summer 2010. (L.A. Times) * Built in 1927 and rebuilt in 1948 and 1994, Comet coaster at Great Escape in New York gets American Coaster Enthusiasts landmark designation. (Screamscape) * DVD extras on “Harry Potter and [...]

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